The present invention relates to thawing racks. More specifically, the present invention provides a thawing rack having opposing sides tensioned via springs such that the thawing rack may be secured within any size sink.
Many foods such as meat, vegetables, and the like are often stored frozen in order to extend the usable timeline in which they can be safely consumed. Frozen foods, particularly meat, typically must be thawed prior to cooking to allow for efficient and thorough cooking. Frozen food left out on the counter or otherwise out of the freezer will thaw naturally overtime; however, this can be a time-consuming and messy process. Further, food items that are improperly thawed may harbor harmful bacteria and other germs, and may cause individuals to be sick if the food item is not thawed correctly prior to cooking and consumption.
One way to speed the thawing process is to submerge the frozen food in water. Water has a greater thermal conductivity than air, so submerging the frozen food in water causes the food to heat and thaw more quickly than simply leaving the frozen food out on the counter or other surface. While the frozen food submerged in water will thaw faster, the frozen food typically floats to the top, leaving a portion of the frozen food unsubmerged and exposed to the air. This can cause the food to thaw unevenly, which may lead to uneven or incomplete cooking. In order to address these concerns, the present invention provides a thawing rack that can be secured within a sink basin above a submerged frozen food item in order to prevent the frozen food item from floating upward and keep the frozen food item entirely submerged, promoting quicker and more even thawing.
Devices have been disclosed in the known art relating to thawing racks. However, these devices have several drawbacks. Thawing racks in the known art typically are rigid fixed structures that can only be supported on a horizontal planar surface, limiting their utility. Further, the thawing racks in the known art fail to provide an adjustability mechanism such as a spring tensioning system to allow the thawing rack to be secured within a sink of any size.
In light of the devices disclosed in the known art, it is submitted that the present invention substantially diverges in design elements from the known art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing thawing racks. In this regard the present invention substantially fulfills these needs.